Springfield agrees to pay $885,000 to four black men who alleged they were beaten by off-duty officers

The city of Springfield has agreed to pay $885,000 to settle federal civil rights lawsuits brought by four black men who alleged they were beaten by off-duty Springfield police officers outside a popular bar in 2015, and then denied justice because of a police coverup.

The suit brought by Paul Cumby, 50, was settled for $750,000, the city said in a statement Wednesday.

Cumby, a lawn sprinkler installer who grew up in Springfield, has been out of work since he broke his leg, dislocated his ankle, and had four teeth knocked loose during the confrontation outside Nathan Bill’s Bar & Restaurant during the early morning hours of April 8, 2015, his lawyer said.